Record card for use in card filing systems



Oct. 13, 1942. R. L. VAN NOSTRAND RECORD CARD FOR USE IN CARD FILING SYSTEMS Filed July 2, 1941 awe/Mm ZZLVanA/aairand Patented Oct. 13, 1942 i ::.i:

RECORD CARD FOR USE IN CARD FILING SYSTEMS I Roscoe L. Van Nostrand, Freeport, N. Y.- Application July 2, 1941, Serial-No. 400,847

2 Claims.

This invention relates to record cards for use in a card filing system.

The invention aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a record card being so formed to facilitate the separation, fingering, and shifting thereof, when filed, through the means of the index and second fingers of the hand of a person, and which cannot be accomplished with respect to the forms of record cards now in general use as it is next to impossible to conveniently separate one card of the said forms at a time.

The invention further aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a record card having provisions at its top edge for fitting therein the fingernails of the index and second finger of a hand of a person to thereby facilitate the independent and separate fingering, separating and flipping of one card with respect to an adjacent card, when desired.

The invention further aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a record card having its top edge so formed to thereby provide for a person expeditiously separating and flipping the card with the balls or the fingernails of the index and second fingers when filed separately with respect to other cards arranged adjacent to the card to be flipped.

The invention further aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a set of record cards each of like form and each having its top edge formed with one or more lower parts, and with each succeeding card being oppositely disposed with respect to each preceding card to thereby dispose the lower part or parts of the top edge of a succeeding card in staggered relation with respect to the lower part or parts of the top edge of a preceding card whereby each card is capable of being independently separated and flipped with respect to an adjacent card.

The invention further aims to provide, as hereinafter set forth, a record card having a top edge provided with cutouts for fingering purposes, said card and said cutouts being so constructed that the cards can be staggered with relation to each other, merely by reversing one card face with respect to another.

The invention further aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a record card which is simple in construction, and arrangement, strong, durable, compact, thoroughly efficient in the use intended therefor, independently shiftable and inexpensive to manufacture.

Embodying the aims aforesaid,and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein are shown several embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention, as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a'front elevation of one form of a record card in accordance with this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing the arrangement of a preceding card of a set of cards relative to a succeeding card of the set, the same type card being reversed;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 Figure 2.

With referenceto Figure 1 a record card, in accordancewith this invention, is generally indicated at II, and it is constructed from any suitable material, preferably fibrous cardboard. The card Il may be of any suitable contour preferably rectangular and it is so shown. The card I will be of the desired length, width and thickness and will consist of a body portion I2 formed with a bottom edge I3, a pair of side edges |4 I5 and a top edge I6. Both faces of the body portion I2 may be ruled or unruled, but preferably such faces will be ruled with a margin at the top thereof. The leading or forward face of the body portion I2 is shown as ruled at I! and formed with an upper margin portion IT. The body portion I2 will have its follower or rear face, not shown, ruled and margined in the same manner as the leading forward face thereof.

The top edge I6 of the body portion I2 is formed of spaced high parts I8, I9 and 20, and with a pair of spaced low parts 2|, 22 cut therein. The low part 22 is arranged between and terminates in the high parts I9, 20. The high parts I8, 20 are straight. The high part I9 is of convex curvature. The low parts 2|, 22 are of concave form. The high part I8 is of greater length than the high part 20. The high part I9 is of less length than the high part 20. The low parts 2|, 22 are of the same length as high part I9, and correspond in length. The high parts I9, 20 are both to the right of the vertical median of body portion I2.

When a series of the cards I I are arranged in a set or filed, a preceding card I I will be reversed and thereby oppositely disposed with respect to a succeeding card II of the set whereby the low parts 2|, 22 of the succeeding card will be disposed in staggered relation with respect to the low parts 22, 2| respectively of a preceding. card, and the high parts I8, I 9, 20 of a preceding card will align with the high parts 20, I9 and i8 respectively of a succeeding card. This arrangement provides for the independent handling of a card and for readily separating such card from an adjacent card. The low parts 2|, 22 of a card II are for fitting the fingernails of the index and second fingers of the hand of a person, or high parts l8, I9, 20 for balls of index and second fingers when shifting the card.

When the cards are in actual use and a file has been made up by the user, every other card of course will be staggered. If it becomes necessary to add an additional card to the file or a dividing or indicating card for any purpose to a previously completed file, such card will line up with either the record card ahead of it or behind it in the file and the staggering effect will be lost. It, therefore, becomes necessary to add a dividing or indicating card and have such dividing or indicating card of a form to preserve the staggering effect of the cards of the file. Such indicating card is indicated at I09, Figure 3, the latter showing a set or file of record cards. The card Hi9 will conform in contour to the cards of the set with which it is employed, but it is of a difierent color with respect to the cards of such set, and when in use will have its high and low parts of its top edge oppositely disposed with respect to the record card in front or behind it, whereby the staggering effect of the record cards will be maintained.

Each of the record cards may be provided with an index character, such as AB, on the front and back of a top edge high part, such as upper right corner, lower corner, etc., and with reference to Figure 2, a preceding record card is formed with a visible index character as at Ill]. The succeeding card is provided with a visible index character as at Ill. The said characters are disposed in staggered relation.

What I claim is:

1. In a filing system, a record card comprising a body portion having a top edge, a pair of side edges and a bottom edge, said top edge being formed with a pair of concave low edge parts, a convex high edge part and a pair of straight high edge parts, said convex high edge part being located adjacent to one side of the vertical median of said body portion, said straight high parts provided by the end terminal portions of said top edge, one of said low edge parts being disposed between and merging into said convex high edge part and one of said straight edge parts, and the other low edge part being arranged between and merging into the said convex high edge part and the other one of said straight edge parts.

2. In a filing system, a record card comprising a body portion having a top edge, a pair of side edges and a bottom edge, said top edge being formed with a pair of concave low edge parts, a convex high edge part and a pair of straight high edge parts, said convex high edge part being located adjacent to one side of the vertical median of said body portion, said straight high parts provided by the end terminal portions of said top edge, one of said low edge parts being disposed between and merging into said convex high edge part and one of said straight edge parts, and the other low edge part being arranged between and merging into the said convex high edge part and the other one of said straight edge parts, one of said straight edge parts being of greater length than the other, said low edge parts being of corresponding length and of less length than the longest straight edge part and of greater length than the shortest straight edge part.

ROSCOE L. VAN NOSTRAND. 

